NORTH EAST HISTORY

Under the 1999 restructure of cricket throughout the State, known as the Victorian Cricket Pathway, North East Country was established as Region 6 of the 16 new regions – 8 in the Country and 8 in Melbourne.

The original North East Zone was established in 1953 and was the only VCCL Zone to not have it's boundaries extended by the Pathway restructure.

To celebrate the opportunities that the Pathway provides junior players, an annual carnival is played between the North East and Northern Rivers Regional teams from Under 13, 15, 16 & 18 age groups on the second Sunday of November.

The carnival, known as the Lightfoot/Sherwill Shield, is named after Bert Lightfoot (Shepparton) and Keith Sherwill (Benalla), who have served cricket in the area for over 60 years as players and administrators.

The Lightfoot/Sherwill Shield is awarded to the Region who wins the most games at the carnival, with the winner being:

Nov 1999 - Northern Rivers

Nov 2000 - Draw

Nov 2001 - North East Knights

Nov 2002 - Northern Rivers

Nov 2003 - Northern Rivers

Nov 2004 - North East Knights

Nov 2005- North East Knights

The North East Region covers 28,000 square kilometres with it’s boundary travelling through Corryong, Corowa, Violet  Town and Alexandra/Eildon. The Region incorporates 10 Associations, 81 junior & senior clubs who enter 276 teams, 10 Milo Have-A-Go programs and over 60 schools entered in the Cricket Victoria Kanga 8/Super 8 carnivals.

Affiliated Associations and their individual details (current for season 2003/04) are as follows:

Albury & Border CA - 9 Clubs, 50 Junior Teams, 29 Senior Teams, 4 Milo Have-A-Go
Alexandra/Euroa DCA - 9 Clubs, 0 Junior Teams, 9 Senior Teams, 1 Milo HAG. Alexandra/Mansfield JCA - 4 Clubs, 8 Junior Teams, 0 Senior Teams, 2 Milo HAG.

Benalla DCA - 10 Clubs, 22 Junior Teams, 20 Senior Teams, 2 Milo HAG.
Euroa JCA - 4 Clubs, 4 Junior Teams, 0 Senior Teams, 1 Milo HAG.
Rutherglen JCA - 4 Clubs, 5 Junior Teams, 0 Senior Teams, 1 Milo HAG.
Wangaratta DCA - 13 Clubs, 30 Junior Teams, 34 Senior Teams, 6 Milo HAG.
Wodonga DCA - 11 Clubs, 42 Junior Teams, 33 Senior Teams, 1 HAG.
Yarrawonga DCA - 6 Clubs, 12 Junior Teams, 6 Senior Teams, 1 HAG.

The Region is adminstered by an elected board which is currently made up by the following :

President – Don Cooper (Yarrawonga); Vice President & VCCL rep – Geoff Welch (Wangaratta); Secretary – Eric Franklin (Euroa); Treasurer – Cameron Diffy (Albury); Ordinary Board Members – Graham Kerr (Wangaratta); Keith Sherwill (Benalla) Mark Portelli (Wodonga) and Glen Brear (Yarrawonga)

The Regions Inter-Association competition is played over a 5 round compeition and the recent winners of the relevant competitions have been:

2000/01 : Seniors Ensign Cup - Wangaratta DCA; U/18s - Albury & Border CA; U/16, U/14 & U/12 - Wangaratta DCA.2001/02 : Seniors Ensign Cup - Wangaratta DCA; U/18s - Albury & Border CA; U/16s - Wangaratta DCA; U/14s - Albury & Border CA; U/12s - Wodonga DCA.

2002/03 : Seniors Ensign Cup - Wangaratta DCA; U/18s - Albury & Border CA; U/16s - Wangaratta DCA; U/14s - Wangaratta DCA; U/12s - Wangaratta DCA.

2003/04 : Seniors Ensign Cup - Albury & Border CA; U/18s - Wangaratta DCA; U/16s - Wodonga DCA; U/14s - Albury & Border CA; U/12s - Benalla DCA.

2004/05 : Seniors Ensign Cup - Wangaratta DCA; U/18s - Wangaratta DCA; U/16s - Benalla DCA; U/14s - Wangaratta DCA; U/12s - Benalla DCA.

2005/06: Seniors Ensign Cup- ABCA;U/18's- Wangaratta ; U/16 Benella U/14'sWangaratta- ; U/12's- Wangaratta


The Regions Under 16 Junior Country Week is played during January and the winners of the relevant competitions have been:

2000/01 : Provincial - Wodonga DCA; Division 2 - Mansfield; Division 3 - Rutherglen DCA.

2001/02 : Provincial - Albury & Border CA; Division 2 - Euroa; Division 3 - Yarrawonga JCA.

2002/03 : Provincial - Wangaratta DCA; Division 2 - Yarrawonga JCA; Division 3 - Wodonga DCA.

2003/04 : Provincial - Wangaratta DCA; Division 2 - Wangaratta DCA; Division 3 - Wangaratta DCA.

2004/05 : Provincial - Wangaratta DCA; Division 2 - Wangaratta DCA; Division 3 - Mansfield.

2005/06: Provincial- Wodonga DCA; Division2- Wodonga ; Division 3

Under the Pathway, the Region has 7 Development Squads – Under 14, 16 & 18 boys, Under 14, 16 and 18 girls and the Advanced Winter Coaching Program. A brief summary of the programs for each age group is as follows:

Under 15 – A squad is selected to participate in the September school holidays coaching and selection trials. The squad continues with this process through October and November, which includes the Lightfoot/Sherwill Shield carnival.

From the above sessions and also considering the players performances for their Club and Association in the Inter-Association competition, a squad of 13 is selected to represent the Region at the Under 14 State Championships in January.

Since the Pathway was introduced, the following North East Knights players have been selected to represent:

MALE

Victorian Primary Schools Under 13 team : 2002/03 - Jack Gilbee; 2003/04 (played in July 2003 in Darwin) - Tom McCorkell; 2004/05 2005/06 - Jordan Wyatt.

Victorian Secondary Schools Under 15 team : 2000/01 - Jordan Wood; 2002/03 - Dean Scheetz. 2006 Joe Doyle (VIC), Joe Loorham and David Farrell (NSW)

Victorian Under 17 team - 2000/01 - Brenton McDonald, Matthew Berriman & Simon Hil (both Matthew and Simon were also selected in the Australian Under 17 squad); 2002/03 - Josh Mangan (Josh was also selected in the Australian Under 17 squad); 2004/05 - Dean Scheetz.

Victorian Under 19 team - 2001/02 - Simon Hill; 2002/03 - Matthew Berriman (c) & Josh Mangan; 2003/04 - Josh Mangan (Josh was also selected in the Australian Under 19 team which played at the Under 19 World Cup in Bangladesh); 2004/05 - Josh Mangan. 2005/06 Dean Scheetz

Premier Cricket 1st XI - 2001/02 - Matthew Berriman (Prahran); 2002/03 - Grant Chessari (Prahran), Simon Hill (Camberwell Magpies) & Josh Mangan ( Melbourne).

FEMALE

Victorian Under 17 team : 1999/00 - Krystelle Jones .

Victorian Under 19 team : 2000/01 - Tara Anderson.

ENSIGN CUP HISTORY

Shortly after the formation of the North East Zone in 1953, John O'Shea and his sister Maie O'Shea donated a silver cup for the Senior Inter-Association competition, which was named the Benalla Ensign Cup to acknowledge the gesture of the O'Shea family.

The opening round featured Benalla travelling to Tarrawingee Sports Ground to take the honours in a low-scoring affair against Ovens and King, stumps scores 115 to 78 and 5 to 115.

Wangaratta and District Cricket Association has been the dominant force, winning 20 premierships and runners-up on 12 occasions.

Original affiliates were Albury and Border (premiers), Rutherglen, Benalla, Ovens and King, Wangaratta and District and Wangaratta Socials.

Other associations to participate down the years have been Alexandra, Alexandra-Euroa, Alexandra-Mansfield, Euroa, Lake Rowan, Mansfield, Ovens and Kiewa, Ovens Valley, Swanpool, Upper Murray, Wangaratta Sundays, Wodonga and Yarrawonga.

Benalla Ensign Cup record of premierships:

Season 1953/54, premiers Albury and Border, runners-up Rutherglen; 1954/55, Rutherglen, Euroa; 1955/56, Ovens and King, Lake Rowan; 1956/57, Wangaratta and District, Euroa; 1957/58, Euroa, Rutherglen; 1958/59, Albury and Border, Euroa; 1959/60, Euroa, Rutherglen; 1960/61, Ovens and King, Wangaratta and District; 1961/62, Euroa, Ovens and King; 1962/63, Albury and Border, Euroa; 1963/64, Ovens and King, Wangaratta and District; 1964/65, Wodonga, Wangaratta and District; 1965/66, Euroa (1), Yarrawonga; 1966/67, Euroa (1), Wangaratta and District; 1967/68, Euroa (1), Benalla; 1968/69, Euroa (1), Wangaratta and District; 1969/70, Benalla, Ovens and King; 1970/71, Benalla, Euroa (1); 1971/72, Benalla, Wangaratta and District; 1972/73, Wangaratta and District, Benalla; 1973/74, Euroa, Rutherglen; 1974/75, Wangaratta and District, Benalla; 1975/76, Euroa, Wangaratta and District; 1976/77, Wangaratta and District, Euroa; 1977/78, Wangaratta and District, Benalla; 1978/79, Wangaratta and District, Benalla; 1979/80, Wangaratta and District, Benalla; 1980/81, Ovens and Kiewa, Albury and Wodonga; 1981/82, Benalla, Albury and Border; 1982/83, Wangaratta and District, Albury and Border; 1983/84, Wangaratta and District, Rutherglen; 1984/85, Alexandra-Mansfield, Wangaratta and District; 1985/86, Wangaratta and District, Euroa; 1986/87, Wangaratta and District, Wodonga; 1987/88, Wangaratta and District, Albury and Border; 1988/89, Wangaratta and District, Wodonga; 1989/90, Wangaratta and District, Benalla; 1990/91, Albury and Border, Wangaratta and District; 1991/92, Wangaratta and District, Albury and Border; 1992/93, Albury and Border, Wangaratta and District; 1993/94, Wangaratta and District, Benalla; 1994/95, Albury and Border, Wangaratta and District; 1995/96, Wangaratta and District, Albury and Border; 1996/97, Albury and Border, Benalla; 1997/98, Albury and Border, Wangaratta and District; 1998/99, Albury and Border, Yarrawonga; 1999/00, Wangaratta and District, Albury and Border; 2000/01, Wangaratta and District, Benalla; 2001/02, Wangaratta and District, Benalla; 2002/03 - Wangaratta DCA, Albury & Border.; 2003/04, Albury & Border, Yarrawonga; 2004/05 - Wangaratta DCA, Benalla DCA.